Sunday, March 23, 2014

On a Mission

I came across my personal mission statement that I wrote back in October 2007 and am truly amazed to see those six simple words that sum up the person I wanted to become. Each word carefully analyzed, removed, and added back, removed, until I was left with six simple words. Six words changed my life.

Six simple words spoken with an open heart and mind and an attitude of gratitude can transform your life. It's a simple exercise that can have extraordinary results.

I wrote my mission statement in the margin of a notebook and shuffled a few words around, removed the passivity in my voice and took control: I don't want to inspire change; I inspire change. I do not want to live peacefully; I live peacefully; I do not want to love deeply; I love deeply. My mission was born and I've been living it every day since. This October I set about a journey to figure out what a writer is and what being a writer means to me, this process involved naming my creative muse after George's favorite term of endearment for his mother, and H.M. Wild was born (thanks buddy!). During that time I decided to revise my mission statement, something new, something fresh, something that represents what My Life Mission is all about.

Flying Wild, Florence, OR January 2013

"Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor." - Benjamin Disraeli

The word changeinspires fear in the hearts of humanity, but as they say the only constant is change. Back in 2007 I wanted to embrace change and learn to go with the Flow. I chose change because it was the hardest concept for me to understand, embrace and respect and I knew change had a valuable lesson to teach me. I went after change like I a starving wolf, with ferocity, with hunger. Determined to "figure it out", whatever "it"was, and wherever "it" took me, I said "Change, here I am, let's do this!".Once I stopped fighting change I realized change was my new best friend.

Recently I wrote a post titled Howl: Running with the Wolves about a 2:30 am encounter with a howling beast on our back porch. In the post I used this quote and it sums up the journey:

“That we can never know," answered the wolf angrily. "That's for the future. But what we can know is the importance of what we owe to the present. Here and now, and nowhere else. For nothing else exists, except in our minds. What we owe to ourselves, and to those we're bound to. And we can at least hope to make a better future, for everything.” ― David Clement-Davies

Sand and Shadows Self-Portrait, January 2013

Acceptance. Action. Peace.

To live peacefully, per my definition, is not to live a life free of conflict, drama, or chaos. Those elements exist in life and are constantly growing and changing. I define living peacefully as the conscious choice to "do the best you can" in any situation and learn from the experiences that do not follow the peaceful path.

"Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh."

- Henry David Thoreau

"Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever." - Audre Lorde

Honey Mama Runs Wild

"Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor." - Benjamin Disraeli